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Varsity Turns to Environment for Certification

Having successfully achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certification on Quality Management Systems (QMS) with a re-certification of the same scheduled for Tuesday February 26th, 2013 at the University’s Graduation Pavilion, JKUAT has already embarked on its second certification process of an Environmental Management System (EMS) with the ultimate goal of achieving the ISO 14001: 2004 certification.

Briefing the Special meeting of the Senate Board of Examiners January 10, 2013, the University’s Management Representative (MR) who also doubles up as the (EMS) coordinator, Prof. Francis Muihuri Njeruh noted that the new certification would further give the University far reaching benefits. Some of the benefits, he pointed out would include; facilitating compliance with the law, reducing environmental risk, facilitating efficient resource utilization, facilitating re-use, recycle and reduction of waste generation, as well as reinforcing a positive image.

Following this decision, various activities have been put in place including: the appointment of a team of twenty two members to spearhead the establishment of the EMS, that would lead to the attainment of the certification; the training of University top and middle level management on EMS which was conducted on March 22nd and 23rd, 2011, and April 11th, 2011; as well as the training of the ISO 14001:2004 team on the implementation of the EMS, which was carried out at during three day seminar between March 2nd and 4th, 2011. A University wide staff sensitization on EMS has also been done with a total of 828 members participating.

Prof. Njeruh who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Administration, Planning and Development further told the Senators that a professional EMS consultancy firm to guide in the certification process had already been identified. He further stated that an environmental review had been conducted in Juja, Nairobi and Karen campuses in line with the scope of the EMS with an aim of providing a baseline on environmental aspects and impacts as well as specifying the University’s environmental legal framework.

Among the seven significant environmental areas identified that the team would focus on according to Prof. Njeruh included; Liquid waste generation and disposal, Chemical spillage and emissions, Consumption of energy, Hazardous waste disposal, Water use, Solid waste generation and disposal and Environmental enhancement. Already the University Environment Policy and Statement of Management has been documented, while the QMS and EMS operations will be integrated to avoid duplication and enhance efficiency once the exercise is completed, he pointed out.